Process for treating hydrocarbons



W. R. HOWARD PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBOkS v April 28, 1925.

a check valve 10. The

State of Illinois, and useful Improvements in Processes for PatentedApr. 28, 1925,.

PIA-TENT 0 Price.

WILLIAM R. HOWARD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOUNIVERSAL OIL PROD-UCTS COMPANY, 'OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTE DAKOTA.

PROCESS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -VVILLIAM R. HowAnn, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and have inventedcertain new Treating Hydrocarbons, of which the fol-' lowing is aspecification.

This invention relates primarily to the socalled cracking of petroleumoil or in other words, to the conversion of high boiling point to lowboiling point hydrocarbons such as gasoline. The process is preferablyoperated as a continuous one in which the oil passes through a crackingzone to a vapor chamber, thence the vapors are subjected to .a refluxcondensing action andfinally to a water condenser.

In the present invention, the refluxed condensate instead of returningto the original cracking zone is delivered to a separate chamber andrevaporized. This prevents the lighter vapors from being over-treatedand also prevents carbon from being returned to the primary crackingzone.

As a further feature of the invention, it may be so carried out as tosubject the reflux condensate to a different pressure and temperaturethan that to which the oil is first subjected.

Referring in detail'to. the drawing, 1 designates a fire box in which ismounted an endless heating coil ing zone. Oil is supplied to this coil 2through pipe 3 from pump 4 from any suitable source of supply. The oilpasses into vapor or expansion chamber 5 through pipe 6. The vaporsgenerated pass out through vapor line 7 into the standard 8 of an aerialcondenser 9. It is to be noted that the pipe 7 enters the standard 8 at.a point above the lower end of the latter and is provided witharrangement is such that the vapors can pass through the pipe 7 onlynthe direction of the arrow. The unvaporized oil is drawn out throughthe drawoif plpe 11, controlled by valve 12. The heavier vapors in theaerial 9 will condense and fall back into the standard 8. Theuncondensed vapors pass out through the gooseneck 13 into coil 14inwater condenser 15. From coil 14 the condensed vapors and incondensablegases pass into receiving tank 16 by means of pipe 17. A gas outlet 18controlled by valve 19 is provided, as is also a still 24. A pressure 2,whichforms a crack 8, 1919. Serial No. 322,457.

liquid drawofi' pipe 26 controlled by Val: 21. A' valve 22 may also beprovided in the gooseneck 13.

The condensed distillates which fall back into the standard thesecondary still 24. This still 24 is seated in a furnace 25 so that itcan be heated- The vapors generated in the still 24 pass out throughline 26 into the standard 8 and are subjected to -the condensing'actionof the aerial reflux condensers. Check valves 27 and 28 are interposedin the lines 23 and 26 and so arranged that the oil and vapors can passthrough the lines 23 and 26 only in di rection of the arrows. leads fromthe lower end of the still 24 and 1s provided withvalve 3Q.

As a feature of the invention a. pump P is interposed in the line 23 andso arranged as to be able to force the condensed liquid coming from thestandard 8'into the secondary in the return line 26. The oil to betreated may be ofany desired character and the pressure and. temperatureused may be varied within relatively wide limits. The followingillustrative run on gas oil from the Kansas may be given. The wholesystem may be kept under a pressure of say 100 lbs. by controlling thevarious outlet ,Valves, or if desired, the pressure of 100 lbs. may bemaintained on the still 2 and a pressure of 150 lbs. or more maintainedon the contents of the still 24. Moreover, the pressure in the still 24may be raised or lowered by regulating the valve R as the processproceeds; as for example, raised to 200 pounds or lowered to 125 pounds.I

v The, oil temperature in the coil 2 may 650 F. While the temperature inthe still 24 may be 800 F. The reason for this is that the chargingstock contains more low boiling point constituents than does thecondensate returning to'the still 24. It will be seen that thepartiallycracked refluxed condensate is in effect shuttle cocked, from the aerialto the still 24 and return. It will also be noted that any carbonprecipitated in the reflux condensate will and not vreach the coil 2. Byproperly regu-.

lating the size of the aerial 9 substantially any end point gasoline maybe made. In other words, with a given gas oil the aerial 9 can be ofHEISSUED 8 pass through line 23 into 60 l I valve R is interposed goback to the tank such size that it'will be at all no times. kept at atemperature of pass out through the gose neck13. It is to be understoodthat a regulated quantity of oil is constantly fed to the apparatus. lhepipes 23 and 26 are provided with valves'31 and 32 whereby the still 24can 'be cut out of the system for cleaning if desired.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A process of converting .relatively heavy hydrocarbons into those oflower boiling point, consisting in passing the oil continuously throu ha cracking -z0ne, thence to a vapor chain er passing the vapors fromsaid vapor chamber to a reflux condenser, passing the uncondensed ortionof the vapors from the reflux con enser to a. final condenser andreceiving liquid portion condensed in the reflux condenser under forcedpressure to a secondary cracking zone, distilling the liquid portion insaid zone and again passing the vapors generated to the refluxcondenser, continuously retreating the reflux condensate in saidsecondary cracking zone, maintaining a predetermined superat-mosphericvapor pressure on the oil insaid first cracking zone, and maintaining ahigher vapor pressure on.the oil in said secondary crackipg zone.

2. A, process of converting relatively heavy hydrocarbons into those oflower of the vapors to a ceiving tank and the condensed portion to.

boiling point, consisting-in passing the oil through a cracking zone,thence to a vaporizing zone, passing the vapors from the vapor zone andsubjecting them toa reflux ing action, passing the uncondensed portionfinal condenser and retank, returning the generated in said latter zoneto again pass to the refluxing zone, maintaining a predeterminedsuperatmospheric vapor pressure on the oil in said first cracking zoneand maintaining a higher vapor pressure on the oil in said secondarycracking zone.

3. A process of converting relatively heavy hydrocarbons into the lowerboiling point hydrocarbons, consisting in passing oil through a crackingcoil and thence to a 400 F, a secondary cracking zone, causing vapors'hence nothing boiling above 400 F. will reacting zone, in dischargingvapors from 1 the reacting zone to a dephlegmator, in discharginguncondensed vapors from the dephlegmator for condensation andcollection, in passing reflux condensate from said dephlegmator to asecond still for treatment, in maintaining an increased pressure andtemperature in said second still, and in introducing the vapors fromsaid second still to said dephlegmator. o

4. A process of converting relatively heavy hydrocarbons into the lowerboiling point hydrocarbons, consisting in passing oil through a crackingcoil and thence to a reacting zone, in discharging vapors from thereacting zone to a dephlegmator, in discharging uncondensed vapors fromthe dephlegmator for condensation and collection, in passing refluxcondensate from said dephlegmator to a second still for treatment, inmaintaining an increased pressure and temperature in said second still,in in- ,troducing the vapors from said second still to saiddephlegmator, and in maintaining a super-atmospheric pressure on the oilundergoing distillation in each still.

WILLIAM R. HOWARD.

